Princess of Hell

We sprinted through the twisted corridors, our footsteps echoing off the metal walls. Behind us, that inhuman screaming grew louder, more urgent. Whatever had made that sound was definitely aware of our presence now.

"There!" Isabella pointed ahead to where the transport gate chamber should be, but my blood ran cold at what I saw.

The entire corridor ahead of us was blocked by a writhing mass of flesh, mouths, and tentacles that stretched from floor to ceiling. Dozens of human-like mouths dotted its surface, all moving in silent screams, while thick tentacles whipped through the air like seeking serpents. The thing pulsed with a sickly wet sound, completely filling our only way out.

"Oh, that's just perfect," Aria panted, skidding to a halt beside me.

But there was something else—another sound growing behind us. Heavy, dragging footsteps mixed with the scraping of bone against stone. Whatever had been screaming was getting closer.

"We go through," I decided, my hands already crackling with magical energy. "No choice."

"Are you insane?" Aria stared at the flesh mass in horror.

"We don't have time to debate this!" The sounds behind us were getting closer. "Move!"

I hurled a bolt of pure flame at the centre of the mass. It shrieked—a sound like a hundred voices crying out at once—and recoiled slightly, creating a narrow gap.

Aria's hands flew to her pouches, pulling out vials of various colours. "Right, let's do this!" She hurled an explosive red concoction into the gap I'd created, widening it further as chunks of burning flesh scattered.

Isabella raised both hands, sending razor-sharp ice spears into the creature's surface. Where they struck, the flesh froze and cracked, creating more openings we could exploit.

I poured more fire into the breach, my magic responding with unusual intensity. The flames burned brighter than they should have, tinged with something deeper than normal fire. The creature's agonised wails filled the corridor as it writhed away from our assault.

"Now!" I shouted.

We charged through the gap, dodging flailing tentacles and snapping mouths. One tentacle whipped toward my face, but I ducked under it, only to feel another graze across my thigh, leaving a burning sensation in its wake.

The transport gate chamber lay just ahead. I lunged for the control panel, my fingers flying over the coordinates for Igneus while Aria and Isabella continued their assault on the pursuing mass.

"Come on, come on," I muttered as the gate began its activation sequence. The familiar hum started, but it seemed to take forever. The magical energies swirled slowly, building toward the critical threshold needed for dimensional travel.

Behind us, the flesh creature had reformed and was pursuing us with renewed fury. Tentacles lashed through the doorway, reaching for us with desperate hunger.

"How long does this thing take?" Aria screamed, throwing another paralysis potion at the nearest tentacle.

"It's queuing!" I shouted back, not taking my eyes off the slowly forming portal. "Almost there!"

The gate finally stabilised, its surface shimmering with dimensional energy. Just as the first wave of tentacles reached us, we dove through together.

I felt something brush against my thigh again as we tumbled through the portal—one of the creature's appendages following us partway through the dimensional barrier.

The moment we hit solid ground on the other side, I slammed my hand on the gate's emergency shutdown rune. The portal snapped closed with a sound like breaking glass, severing whatever had been trying to follow us.

Several writhing tentacle segments dropped to the ground beside us, still twitching with residual life.

We collapsed on the obsidian floor of Igneus's transport plaza, gasping for breath. A small crowd of demons had gathered, staring at us and the still-writhing tentacle pieces with curiosity.

"Well," Aria panted, eyeing the severed appendages with disgust, "those are definitely not the kind of tentacles I'd want anywhere near me."

I burst out laughing despite everything—the absurdity of her comment after what we'd just been through struck me as hilarious. "Definitely need to learn some proper combat magic," I said, still catching my breath. "That was way too close."

Isabella nodded grimly from where she lay sprawled on the ground. "Next time, we bring bigger weapons."

* * *

I scrambled to my feet, brushing obsidian dust from my clothes. The crowd of demons was growing larger, their curious whispers turning into excited chatter as they spotted the still-twitching tentacle pieces.

"We need to go," I said, grabbing Aria's arm and helping her up. "Before this becomes a spectacle."

Isabella nodded, already moving toward the plaza's exit. "Agreed. The last thing we need is headmistress asking questions."

We hurried through Ardorkeep's winding streets, putting distance between ourselves and the transport plaza. The normal sounds of Hell's nightlife—laughter, music, and various other activities—felt almost comforting after the horrors we'd just escaped.

"We need somewhere private to talk," I said, scanning the establishments lining the street. Most were too crowded or too open for what we needed to discuss.

"There," Isabella pointed to a discreet sign reading 'The Crimson Alcove' in elegant script. "That looks suitable."

The establishment's entrance was tucked between two larger buildings, easy to miss unless you were looking for it. Inside, warm amber light cast dancing shadows across crimson-draped walls. A hostess with dark wings approached us immediately.

"Welcome to the Crimson Alcove," she said with a professional smile. "Table for three? We have several private alcoves available."

"Perfect," I replied. "We need complete privacy."

She led us to a small booth separated by heavy velvet curtains. The moment we settled into the plush seats, I felt magical wards activate around us—soundproofing enchantments that would make our conversation completely inaudible to anyone outside.

"Well," Aria said, slumping against the cushions, "that was absolutely terrifying. What the hell was that thing?"

"Failed experiments, probably," Isabella answered grimly. "Centuries of them, all fused together into one massive abomination."

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I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the polished obsidian table. "We have coordinates for Kyriakos's real laboratory now, but after seeing what he's capable of…" I trailed off, thinking about the writhing mass we'd barely escaped.

"You're considering telling your parents," Isabella said. It wasn't a question.

I nodded slowly. "The lich's monstrosities are clearly beyond our level. Who knows what other horrors he's created in his main facility? If Faith is really there…"

"She could be in serious danger," Aria finished. "Lily, I think you should contact them. This isn't something we can handle alone anymore."

"I agree," Isabella added. "We've proven we can gather intelligence and handle ourselves in dangerous situations, but that laboratory under Atlantis could be filled with things that make what we just faced look harmless."

I considered their words carefully. They were right—we were out of our depth. But there was another concern nagging at me.

"What if Kyriakos grows desperate when he realizes the full power of Hell is coming for him? He might do something drastic to Faith as a last resort."

The alcove fell silent as we contemplated that possibility. Outside our warded space, I could hear the muffled sounds of other patrons enjoying their evening, oblivious to our crisis.

"Still," Aria said finally, "Faith's chances are better with your parents involved than with us stumbling around blind in a lair full of monsters."

I pulled out the communication device Galahad had given me, its crystalline veins pulsing with soft blue light. "Let me call Galahad first. Maybe they've made progress on their end."

The device activated almost immediately, Galahad's voice crackling through with unusual clarity.

"Princess," he said, and I could hear the tension in his voice. "Please tell me you have good news."

* * *

"Not exactly," I replied, my fingers tightening around the device. "But I have a lead on where Kyriakos took Faith."

"Thank God—" Galahad started, then caught himself abruptly. "I mean, that's excellent news, Princess."

Despite everything, I almost smiled at his slip. "How are things on your side? Did you find anything?"

"Indeed we did, but what we found doesn't make sense." His voice carried frustration and confusion. "All of our tracking attempts point to the same impossible location."

"Which is?"

"The middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Deep underwater. The lich must be playing games with us, creating false magical signatures to throw us off the trail."

I exchanged glances with Aria and Isabella. "No, Galahad. It actually makes perfect sense. That's exactly where my lead places Faith too—in Kyriakos's laboratory under the ruins of Atlantis."

Silence stretched across the connection for several heartbeats. "Atlantis," he said finally. "Of course. But how do we reach an underwater ruin? Do you have a way to get there quickly? It's not like we have time to deploy a team of divers to search ancient underwater ruins."

"I have coordinates for a transport gate," I said. "I can give them to the VCD. But Galahad, I'm seriously considering involving my parents in this."

"Princess, I understand your concern, but—"

"We were just in one of Kyriakos's abandoned laboratories," I interrupted. "Even that place was filled with horrors that nearly killed us. We barely escaped some kind of flesh abomination made from his failed experiments. Who knows what he has prepared in his main laboratory after centuries of research?"

Another pause. When Galahad spoke again, his voice was carefully measured. "I know what involving your parents would entail. The political ramifications alone… Can't you give us some time? Let us attempt a rescue first?"

"Do you think Faith has time to wait?" I shot back. "Every moment she spends in that place, she could be subjected to the same experiments that drove dozens of people insane or turned them into monsters. The most I can spare is the time it takes me to talk to my parents and for them to mobilize."

I could hear muffled voices in the background—probably Morgan discussing options with other VCD personnel.

"Very well," Galahad said finally. "Send us those coordinates. We'll do what we can."

I transmitted the location data through the device. "Good luck, Galahad. I truly hope you reach her first."

"As do I, Princess. If we fail…"

"Then Hell itself will come calling," I finished grimly. "And Kyriakos won't survive that encounter."

The connection ended, leaving our alcove in heavy silence. I set the device on the table and looked at my friends, who were staring at me with expressions I couldn't quite read.

Aria was the first to break the silence. "Wait," she said slowly, "they know you're a princess?"

Isabella raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering the same thing. When exactly did you reveal your identity to the VCD?"

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache building. "It's complicated. I had to tell them when Kyriakos kidnapped Faith. They were asking too many questions about why I cared so much, and then Kyriakos called me 'princess' right in front of them."

Isabella leaned back against the plush cushions. "Well, that certainly explains Galahad's deference. He's probably terrified of causing a diplomatic incident."

"Good," I said firmly. "Maybe that fear will motivate them to move faster."

* * *

As if sensing the end of my conversation with Galahad, the communication rune in my spatial ring suddenly flared to life. The familiar blue glow cast eerie shadows across our alcove as Kyriakos's ethereal projection materialized above the table.

I stared at the skeletal figure, my heart racing. Had he been monitoring us somehow? Did he realize we'd been snooping through his abandoned laboratory?

"Kyriakos," I said carefully, keeping my voice steady despite the anger burning in my chest. "What do you want?"

The lich's glowing eye sockets seemed to focus on me with uncomfortable intensity. "Princess Morningstar. I must admit, I have… miscalculated. I find myself in need of your assistance."

"Why would you think I'd help you with anything?" I replied coldly.

"Because you care about agent Clarke," he said simply. "And right now, she needs both of us."

My blood ran cold. "What did you do to her?"

"Come to my laboratory, Princess. We can discuss this properly there."

I leaned forward, my hands clenching into fists. "Where is it? And how do I know this isn't some elaborate trap?"

Kyriakos actually chuckled, a sound like grinding bones. "You should already know where it is, given your recent trip to my old laboratory. I apologize for the mess you encountered there, by the way."

So he knew. "You were watching us."

"I noticed when you freed Zophiel," he confirmed. "Quite generous of you, actually. She'd been rather… unpleasant company for the past millennium."

Aria grabbed my arm. "Lily, this is obviously a trap. Don't listen to him."

Isabella nodded agreement. "He's trying to lure you there for some reason."

But something in Kyriakos's tone made me hesitate. There was genuine concern there, buried beneath his usual clinical detachment. "What exactly happened to Faith?"

The lich was quiet for a moment, his projection flickering slightly. "I found a way to restore memories. Even revert agent Clarke's partial transformations. It should have worked perfectly."

"Should have?"

"I miscalculated the extent of your True Magic's influence on her essence. When I attempted to reverse her partial transformation…" He paused, and for the first time since I'd known him, Kyriakos sounded uncertain. "Her state has become unstable. She's shifting between three forms—human, demon, and vampire. Uncontrollably."

My stomach dropped. "Vampire?"

"The blood magic involved in her initial injury appears to have been reactivated by the conflicting energies. She's cycling through all three states, and each shift is causing her significant pain. She's also…" He hesitated again. "She's currently wrecking through my laboratory."

I shot to my feet, my chair scraping against the floor. "You experimented on her without understanding what you were dealing with!"

"I thought I understood," Kyriakos said quietly. "I was wrong. My equipment cannot stabilize her condition, and my restraints cannot hold her when she shifts to her demonic form. The only way to stabilise her condition requires the original caster of the True Magic that initially altered her soul."

Aria and Isabella exchanged worried glances. "Lily," Isabella said carefully, "even if he's telling the truth, this could still be a trap."

"It could be," I agreed, never taking my eyes off Kyriakos's projection. "But if Faith is really suffering like that…"

"She is," Kyriakos confirmed. "And Princess, time is not on our side. Each transformation cycle is becoming more violent. If this continues much longer, the stress may tear her soul apart entirely."

I closed my eyes, weighing my options. Faith was in danger because of me—because I'd tried to save her with magic I didn't understand. Now Kyriakos had made it worse with his own arrogance.

"The coordinates the angel gave us," I said finally. "That's where you are?"

"Indeed. Though I should warn you—the laboratory is in a rather… chaotic state at the moment."

I looked at Aria and Isabella, seeing my own determination reflected in their faces. They'd follow me into this, no matter how dangerous it became.

"We're coming," I told Kyriakos. "But if this is a trap, I'll make sure you regret it."

"Princess," Kyriakos interrupted, "I am many things, but I am not suicidal. Attempting to harm Lucifer's daughter would ensure my permanent destruction. I need your cooperation, not your enmity."

The projection flickered, growing fainter. "Please, come quickly."

The communication cut off, leaving us in tense silence.